


Growing Together

by tsukikomew



Series: Together [1]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternative Universe - No Arrow, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-21
Updated: 2016-07-21
Packaged: 2018-07-25 21:42:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7548208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tsukikomew/pseuds/tsukikomew
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world where the Gambit never goes down, Felicity Smoak just wants a burger. She just wants one night at Big Belly Burger the way it used to be, before Oliver Queen cut himself away from his family fortune and started being a server there. When she forgets her cell phone one night, Oliver tracks her down and begins a love story neither of them were expecting.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Growing Together

Everyone knows the story. In fact it’s pretty much the only story floating around Starling City these days. The fact IT girl Felicity Smoak knows the story tells everyone just how big it is. Oliver Queen, the heir to the Queen fortune, company, and hopes/dreams for the future up and left it all to work at Big Belly Burger. It’s all everyone talks about during Felicity’s ten hour work days. Oliver Queen...a waiter.

 

She doesn’t really listen to gossip most of the time. She’s much too busy inventing, hacking, and generally trying to pretend she’s not lonely. It never works but she likes to try. The only reason she’s so aware of Oliver Queen’s sudden career change is because Big Belly Burger is her favorite place to eat dinner. 

 

It used to be one of those hole-in-the-wall kind of undiscovered gem in the Glades. She could drive her little car home and walk down the street and around the corner to the fast food restaurant. She could sit down at any table and just eat her burger in peace. No one ever bothers her and no one expects her to make a harder decision than what she wants on said burger.

 

Now all she does is clutch her glass hard enough to crack it and glare at Oliver Queen’s back. He has ruined this place for her. Once the gossip magazines got wind of Oliver Queen’s new career the place is filled with paparazzi and barely clothed girls trying to get a peek at the suddenly accessible billionaire. There are no bodyguards in Big Belly Burger.

 

Even though Oliver Queen is irritating her to no end with his very presence, she can’t help but appreciate the sudden eye candy the place has. Oliver Queen is ripped in a way men almost never are in real life. His arms bulge with muscles and his chest really fills out that Big Belly Burger t-shirt. The pants...oh the pants. If he swivels the right way then she gets a slight eyeful of just how impressive he is. Plus he can bench press a bus. Okay not a bus but the point is still there. He is quite the specimen.

 

She’ll admit she read the article in the Starling City Sentinel explaining why Oliver Queen is so...fit. Apparently after getting mugged a few years back he decided to stop counting on his bodyguards for protection. It had been a huge scandal when he dropped Blackhawk security in favor of the one-man agency of Diggle Security. John Diggle came into the picture and got Oliver Queen in shape, training him and acting as bodyguard in the interim. Blackhawk has not recovered.

 

Otherwise she just tries to eat her burger as fast as possible and then get out of the place before early nightclub eaters arrive. She can’t stand the number of women...and men who have started coming to the small fast food place to gawk and try and get Oliver Queen to give them the time of day. It’s sickening for society as a whole. He’s just a man, after all.

 

She does have to admit he seems to be taking the minimum wage job seriously. He’s a very attentive waiter although she’s never had the pleasure. He’s very polite to everyone and works hard. He smiles but it’s that gossip magazine smile...not the real one. It’s fake but he tries. He is the most reliable employee it seems. Regardless of weather or hours he’s there. It’s strange the billionaire is working so hard but Felicity figures it was a bet or something. Why would anyone leave billions to play waiter?

 

When five more girls flood into the place, practically crawling over him, she can’t stand it any more. She gestures to Carly, the manager for a box but nightclub girl #1 manages to knock Felicity’s coke over the burger and onto her dress. The place goes silent as the glass falls to the floor and shatters. Felicity just looks at the ruined burger and almost starts to cry. She just wants a Big Belly Burger after being told her ideas were too radical and above her job title. She just wants five minutes of silence in her favorite place.

 

“Watch where you put your cup, bitch,” the girl screeches. Felicity glances up at the small dot of soda on the girl’s silver dress. Sighing she just puts the money on the table, slipping a tip under the plate. It’s not Carly’s fault the place has become filled with annoying customers. Ignoring the girl who is still squawking about her dress, she just leaves. She’s tired and cranky and just doesn’t care any more.

 

She heads home, groaning about the miserable day to herself. A few people jump out of her way when she starts babbling to herself. Great. Now she’s the crazy lady with soda dripping off her pink dress. Just another bonus to an already shitty day.

 

It’s only when she’s changed into her yoga pants and flipping through take-out menus does she realize she forgot her phone. She tears through her purse and groans. Where did she leave it? At work? No she remembers sending an email after that. In the car? No she had it at Big Belly Burger. Groaning, she grabs her keys, flings her door open and collides with the most perfect male chest she’s ever collided with. Trust her, she’s collided with a bunch of them over the years due to looking at her phone and walking.

 

“This day just keeps getting more and more terrible,” she grumbles against the cotton t-shirt. In the weirdest moment of her life she just stays there, leaning against some strange man and babbling into his shirt. She should probably be embarrassed but after the day she had, she just can’t move.

 

“I’m sorry,” a male voice replies. “Can I do anything?”

 

“Can you time travel?”

 

“No.”

 

“Probably not then. I feel like time travel is the only way to salvage this.”

 

“What about your usual order from Big Belly Burger, an iPhone, and desert from that bakery down the street?”

 

“Wha…?” she finally looks up and discovers for the past three minutes she’s been pressed against Oliver Queen himself. Looking down at his hands she discovers he’s holding two bags. She finally looks up at him and embarasses herself even further by blushing. She can feel it crawling across her face and that makes it that much worse. The squeak she lets out is just one more strike against her.

 

“You should have demanded an apology from Hannah. She was out of line. I’m sorry.”

 

“Why are you sorry?” she manages. He’s still really close to her and it’s unnerving. She knows he is a big guy but somehow he feels hulking standing next to her. Not in a meathead bodybuilder stereotype kind of way. More like a dark knight rescuing a damsel kind of way. Not that she’s a damsel. 

 

“They’re all there because of me. I...don’t really have the skills to get a job that puts me in a back office and away from the public. So...at least Carly understands.”

 

“Why do you need a job at all? I mean you’re worth millions...or billions right? What did you lose it play it online poker or something? Seriously please stop me. I babble when I’m nervous.”

 

“It’s cute. I still technically have the money, I guess. Well assuming my parents haven’t closed the accounts. I haven’t checked.”

 

“You haven’t...how can you not know?”

 

“I’m trying something new so...I’m not really sure,” he says. She realizes he seems embarrassed and she feels the desire to apologize. Instead she looks back into her apartment and considers.

 

“Do you need to go back to work?”

 

“No I’m done for the day.”

 

“Then why don’t you come inside me...my apartment. Please shoot me now.”

 

“Still cute,” he replies. He does step inside her apartment glancing around slowly. It’s not until they are sitting on the floor in front of her couch does she realize what has happened. She’s having dinner with Oliver Queen in her tiny apartment...in yoga pants. She has to fight the urge to go put on make-up because even though she doesn’t consider herself a girl who needs make-up, she feels weirdly underdressed with Oliver Queen next to her. Maybe it could be like a mask.

 

“Why did you come? I mean I’m a stranger.”

 

“You’re Felicity,” he says surprising her. “You come in every day either at lunch for a side salad and large fries or at dinner for the #1 special. You never talk to anyone but Carly but you always leave a good tip. You work in the tech field because when you aren’t eating, you tend to talk to yourself about your stupid boss. You’re allergic to nuts and you are deathly afraid of kangaroos. How am I doing?”

 

“Are you my stalker?” Felicity asks hesitantly.

 

“More like I’ve noticed you,” he admits. “You come in every day and Carly likes you so I hear about you. Plus I’ve noticed you.”

 

“You said that.”

 

“I did.”

 

“Not to sound crazy but why? I mean there are about 30 girls in there every night waiting for you to notice them.”

 

“That’s why I noticed you,” he explains. “I’m not sure most people can really understand what it is like to be a ‘celebrity’. Every single thing I do gets reported somewhere. People follow me around and jump over boundaries. None of those people care about me or what I’m doing. They think it’s a stunt or something.”

 

“And it’s not?”

 

“No. It’s not.”

 

They never actually discuss what it is. Instead they just talk. Felicity usually talks too much but tonight she lets him lead and finds she doesn’t feel the urge to babble. Instead she’s really interested in what he has to say. He doesn’t really sound like one of the idle rich. He’s talking about the economy and the Glades future prospects. He has goals and plans although he’s not overly specific. He talks to her about computers a little bit letting her fill in what he doesn’t know. He keeps up for the most part, his mind jumping and creating connections before she realizes she should have explained better. He’s sharp. That’s another thing the media seems to miss out on. 

 

He’s really smart and it bothers her that she didn’t expect it. She knows he failed at a lot of schools. Anyone who lives in Starling knows Oliver Queen is the academic bar you do not want to reach. Surprisingly he seems really aware of a variety of topics. He confesses to speaking five languages but admits almost no one knows that about him including his family. He’s been picking them up for years and is currently working on Korean.

 

Suddenly it’s after midnight and they are both staring at the clock in confusion. She has to work tomorrow so she regretfully starts to say goodbye. She follows him to the door and thinks about how she can’t remember the last time she had a guest over.

 

“Felicity? I...I had fun tonight,” he says softly. “Could we...maybe do it again?”

 

“Like a date? No of course not a date…”

 

“A date,” he says. “I don’t really have...I can’t take you anywhere fancy on my…”

 

“You’re really serious about your job.”

 

“Yeah,” he says softly. “I am. I’m really proud of what I’m doing.”

 

“Then take me where you can afford to go,” she says. “I’m interested in a date with you...not your wallet.”

 

“I work nights over the weekends since I’m the new guy. Are you free Saturday around noon? We could have an afternoon date?”

 

He actually looks nervous which is endearing. He stammers a little, babbling on his own for a minute and it makes her smile.

 

“I’d like that.”

 

“Good. Okay. I’ll pick you up? I can borrow a car...”

 

“That sounds great.”

* * *

 

He surprises her and that is so refreshing. Instead of taking her to a movie or lunch he takes her to a Japanese Garden for a Fall foliage day. There is a celebration inside not just to enjoy the changing of the leaves but also to celebrate and enjoy music and authentic food. He escorts her around pointing out things and explaining some of the music and culture to her. He speaks Japanese fluently with a few of the employees, smiling when an older woman hugs him and speaks rapidly.

 

Felicity watches in awe at this man who no one seems to know in the public. There are no cameras here and nobody is falling all over him. It’s quiet and respectful and everyone who encounters them seems to treat him like a favored son instead of a billionaire playboy. It’s different.

 

He holds her hand for one thing and she keeps looking at it like she can’t understand it. He’s really attentive and that’s even stranger. She’s not used to that kind of focus. Her exes have always been idea guys. They have grand plans and goals. She has always second in their minds but Oliver...he’s so aware of her. It’s unnerving.

 

Again they just talk. Sure he points things out to her and shares a little more about himself but mostly he wants to talk about her. He listens attentively as she talks about her schooling and her career. He lets her get a little geeky and listens to her ramble on about science fiction shows and a new book she wishes she had time to read. 

 

It’s only later on the bank of one of the garden’s lakes that he kisses her. She’s not even expecting it which somehow makes it more romantic. She turns to point out something in the distance and her lips are suddenly on his. His hands are on her hips before they just slide around to lightly embrace her. His lips are warm and his body is protective, shielding her against the light wind.

 

She’s freaking out. It’s an amazing kiss. Totally #1 in her book but she has a panicked moment. Where should she put her hands? Is anyone watching? What if her lips are too dry? Oh God what if she starts rubbing against him? He looks climbable. Feet firmly on the ground, thank you. 

 

He pulls back from her and just watches her for a moment. He seems a little sheepish. Maybe he shouldn’t have done that. Maybe she regrets it. She doesn’t but how would he know that. Instead she shows him. Another soft kiss, another shared breath, another moment of connection.

 

He walks her to her door and doesn’t seem to want to leave. He has to. He has work. He wants to take her out again. Somehow watching him struggle to go to work is the most charming thing she’s seen. It’s too soon but she can feel it in her bones. She could fall in love with him so easily. She almost says no when he asks to take her out again but she can’t help the whisper in her mind, ‘what if he’s the one’? So she says yes.

* * *

 

She does climb him eventually. She surprises herself around date number 7 when she actually just climbs him literally. They’re in her apartment, in the kitchen while he attempts to salvage her cooking attempt. There’s something about the way he tries to pretend her food is edible that makes the decision for her. 

 

He turns around to find her slipping her dress over her head. She’s only wearing a scrap of black lace which she hopes he finds sexy. Well she’s wearing her glasses but she can’t see that as any improvement. He just stares at her as she walks towards him. The wooden spoon clatters to the floor when she puts her hands on his shoulders and jumps upward. He catches her against him, hissing when her body collides with that impressive piece of him she’s admired for weeks.

 

She presses closer when his one hand slips beneath that scrap of black lace and encounters bare skin. She’s on fire already and they haven’t even started.  She kisses him hard and hot, licking at his lips until he lets her in. This is her show baby and she’s going to lead the whole thing. 

 

That lasts approximately twenty-five seconds.

 

She bounces on her bed and realizes there is a reason Oliver has such a reputation in the tabloids. He looks like a caged animal that just saw the door get unlocked. His gaze is heated and she shivers in response. This is going to be a unique experience for her. Oliver is an incredibly dominant man and she realizes her past experiences will pale in comparison. 

 

He gestures when she starts to sit up and she slips back down to the cool quilt at her back. He’s in charge. He wants her to know it, recognize it, and agree to it. She does. She wants this. She wants to have him uncaged and raw.

 

She gasps when she sees the scars. His shirt flutters to the floor and she just stares at them. Somehow she knows these are the wounds that started the change in him. His left shoulder, chest and stomach have three jagged scars from the mugging he suffered. Three stab wounds.

 

She almost ignores his silent demand in order to inspect the wounds. Since they’ve started seeing each other she has done minor research on him. The one on his chest nearly severed something. He could have bled out in the alleyway or in the hospital but somehow he’d made it through. In the single interview question he’d answered about the ordeal he stated he discovered a will to live he hadn’t known he possessed.

 

She nearly jumps when his hand clasped her ankle, tugging her down the bed. Instinctively she tenses but relaxes under his commanding gaze. He won’t hurt her. She knows that. She keeps her hands on the bed waiting for his next direction or the next move he’ll make. He’s like some conquering soldier and while she’s never gotten off on role playing, she suddenly understands the appeal.

 

“You think too much,” he says gruffly. “Before we continue this I need to know you are with me. I can be...demanding.”

 

“Demanding?” she breathes.

 

“I can be rough. If it gets to be too much for you...if I push too hard, all you have to say is stop or no. I’ll stop immediately. Always.”

 

“I know.”

 

“Are you with me Felicity?”

 

“Yes.”

 

He doesn’t say another word. He just reaches down and rips her underwear. It’s the sexiest thing that’s ever happened to her. He just ripped them, one-handed and tucks the scrap into his back pocket. He’s staring at her and she can’t help but feel self-conscious. She’s never had anyone look at her that way. He moves to the side of the bed, trailing one hand up her body, drifting over sensitive spots.

 

Her breath is already ragged and he hasn’t done anything. His fingertips dance along her collarbone before slipping up over one arm. Taking her hand he slips it upward until it’s above her head. He reaches for the other one and does the same thing. She glances down at her smallish breasts looking even smaller in the position. He shakes his head and places one hand over her left breast, smoothing his hand hand over the soft skin. He has calluses from his workouts and the roughness is amazing. 

 

She doesn’t even realize that sound is her voice as he just rubs that one spot. Leaning over her he clasps other hand over her other breast and mimics the motion. Her body is on fire and she feels like she’s going to float right off the bed. 

 

It’s only when she feels her body going into what can only be a climax, her eyes dart open and find his. She’s...from just her breasts? That’s...not…

 

Her mind is sluggish for a moment but she realizes she’s pushing at his wrists to stop him from touching her sensitive breasts. She can hear him murmuring to her and before she can can say anything his warm lips close over one sensitive nipple. The feeling is agony for a few seconds and then it shivers into pleasure. He slips onto the bed over her, sliding between her legs.

 

“Oliver…?”

 

“I’m not done with yet,” he whispers against her stomach. He takes his time kissing and trailing his tongue around her belly and her thighs until she is pleading with him. “Shh...I’ll get there when I get there.”

 

He takes her there a few moments later. He holds her spread against the quilt, not giving her any chance to move. He’s thorough and slow, taking his time over each spot that makes her sigh. When she collapses limply against the sheets a third time, he finally pulls away from her. Limply and half asleep she watches him undress. She can’t even appreciate the loss of his pants. She’s drifting…

 

“Felicity...shh shh...one more for me,” he murmurs. “One more.”

 

He slips in gently and in the recesses of her mind she thinks of a hot knife in butter. She barely makes a sound as he wraps his arms around her and kisses her temple. It’s only when he starts stoking the flame again, thrusting harder, that she feels the desire build again. She holds him tightly and kisses him. Tumbling over the edge again she feels her heart slide one more step towards being in love with Oliver Queen.

* * *

 

In the middle of the night she finds him wide awake and watching her. He’s just watching her like he does sometimes and again she finds his focus unexpected. He kisses her softly and just touches her gently, slipping his callused hand over her soft belly until it is resting on her hip.

 

“Oliver…”

 

“You’ve never asked me why I work at Big Belly Burger,” he says softly. “Everyone always asks but you just accept it.”

 

“I figure you’ll tell me when you’re ready,” she replies. 

 

“What do you know about me from the media?” he asks.

 

“Uh...well you’re the son of Robert and Moira Queen, older brother of Thea Queen,” she begins. “You’re 28 years old and for the past fifteen years or so you’ve been featured in every tabloid imaginable. You were attached to Laurel Lance for 10 years off and on but it never went anywhere. Three years ago you were mugged and stabbed three times which seems to have changed your life because a little less than a year ago you abandoned rich people land. How am I doing?”

 

“You got the highlights,” he replies. “You’re right the mugging changed my life. I almost died which is hinted at in the tabloid but the reality was worse. I flatlined twice on the table. I had six surgeries. It took me months to be ‘normal’ again. My family covered for me saying I was partying in Europe but I actually spent those months rehabbing my shoulder and refusing visitors.”

 

“I…”

 

“I didn’t see my family for months. Three weeks into my hospital stay I fired my security team and hired John Diggle. That was the best decision I ever made. John is...well he has the scariest bullshit meter I’ve ever encountered. He asked me what I wanted from him and when I explained what I wanted he looked at me for ten minutes and nodded. The next day I started rehab with John. By the time my parents saw me again I’d gained significant muscle mass. I was working out harder than I ever had before. I learned to fight. I learned weaponry. I also gained a friend.”

 

“That’s great,” she offers knowing there is more.

 

“After 18 months John stopped me one day and asked me what the hell I was doing,” Oliver says. “He just looked at me in the middle of my workout and asked me point blank what I wanted to do with my life. He asked me why I was still letting my parents plan my whole life and why I was still involved with Laurel when I clearly didn’t want to be.”

 

“What did you say?”

 

“Well I punched him.”

 

“You…?”

 

“I cleaned up the ‘discussion’ a little bit. We fought and both came out bloody on the other side. I said things that I regret. I’m sure he did too but what he said stayed with me. He was right. I’m still not sure what I was doing. So I did something surprising to everyone I knew. I sat down and wrote up a resume.”

 

“A resume?” she asks. She turns onto her side and puts her hand on his chest as he runs his fingers through her hair. It’s relaxing and distracting but she wants to hear the rest.

 

“Yeah and you know what I discovered?”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“It was pretty much a blank page. I’d never held a job. I’d never done anything. My skills were non-existent. So I applied for every single job a person with no skills can get. Carly is the only one who called me back.”

 

“But you have skills. You speak a bunch of languages. You work hard. You…”

 

“Shh…” he says putting a finger to her lips. “I had no marketable skills. The language thing maybe but I had no skills to go with it. So Carly called me back. I went in an interviewed. I took it really seriously. She told me about the job and asked me point blank if I intended to leave her in a lurch if it got too hard. I told her no that I wanted to prove something to myself. She gave me that job and made my life miserable for weeks.”

 

“But you were still at home right?” 

 

“Yeah. It didn’t take long for the news to reach my parents. They were outraged. All their planning and effort and I was working at a fast food place for pennies. I took all of their anger because I wanted to tell them why I was doing it. Then they told me about what I was going to do. I was going to quit that job immediately, put on a suit and work for my father. I was going to settle down with Laurel because I was old enough to put away partying and grow up. I told them I wasn’t going to leave Carly in a lurch. They said some really nasty things about her and the restaurant. So I left and haven’t looked back.”

 

“Oliver…”

 

“I went to the restaurant and told Carly what had happened. She offered me an out so I could repair things with my family. I told her I made her a promise and my word was all I had now. Then she told me something. John asked her to hire me as a favor. She’s his sister-in-law. She explained to me she never would have hired me otherwise and then she said she would have been wrong. She apologized for thinking I was just a rich playboy playing at being an adult. She gave me a place to stay and helped me. They both did. They taught me how to make a budget and how to be a normal adult. They both saved me.”

 

“That’s amazing,” she says. 

 

“It’s not Felicity. It’s what people do every day. I haven’t touched any of my family’s money since. I can’t give you much of anything in this relationship but I want you to know I cherish this...what we have. You are the best part of my life right now Felicity. I want to share what I have with you even though it’s not a lot.”

 

“I want that too. I didn’t have much before meeting you. I pretty much just worked all the time and watched Netflix. I don’t really have friends or much of a life and I’m not exactly on good terms with my family either. So I want to share what I have too.”

* * *

 

Spring bursts onto the scene a few months later and so much has changed. Felicity has been skipped for a promotion and she’s not really happy with it. Oliver is still working at Big Belly Burger but he’s been picking up odd jobs involving translation. He’s not really happy about it either. They’re in love though and that’s enough for both of them.

 

Felicity suddenly has friends and that’s still strange to her. John, Carly, and John’s girlfriend Lyla all accept her. She knows she should probably get along best with Carly or Lyla but instead she finds a great friend in John. The two of them really hit it off and start hanging out while Oliver is working or they eat lunch together when they can. Sometimes it’s just the two of them and other times Oliver or Lyla join them. At first Oliver seems jealous but pretty quickly he gets over it.

 

Avoiding the media is a bit of a job but they both decide to focus on their relationship rather than the media so they stay out of the public eye. They don’t purposefully hide it but it works for them. They’re happy and that’s enough.

 

One night she goes to bed thinking about Oliver making waffles in the morning. She wakes up and finds a small engagement ring on her finger. Staring at it in the sunlight, she keeps blinking. She’s still dreaming right?  She’s not. 

 

He proposes in bed, making love to her before making her breakfast. She doesn’t remember when she says yes but it was in there somewhere. For the next three weeks she just keeps staring at the ring. It’s small, really unassuming and she knows Oliver is a bit embarrassed it’s the best he can do. She loves it. She loves the simple ring and what it means. She loves knowing he worked for it and how it suits her perfectly. 

 

She’s been thinking a lot about her mother recently and she realizes maybe she needs to try and make things right with her mom. They are very different people and maybe now she can find a common ground. So she invites her to town. For the first time since she moved to Starling, she invites her mother to stay with her. 

 

Donna loves Oliver which doesn’t surprise Felicity in the least. What surprises her is how supportive Donna is over Oliver’s decision to make his own way. Her mother always seems to be about money but suddenly that’s not what she’s focused on. 

 

On her last day in town Donna pulls Felicity aside and confides she has been worried about her. She wants only the best for Felicity and looking at Oliver, she can see it. She wants Felicity to be happy and she urges her to fight for her relationship and to remember marriage is only the beginning, not the end.

 

Standing at the airport waving goodbye to her mother is the moment the entire world seems to realize Oliver Queen is engaged. Somewhere between departures and parking lot one paparazzi gets a shot of Oliver kissing her and the ring on her finger against his cheek. It’s a solid shot and even Oliver likes it. He actually contacts the photographer and asks for a print, framing it in her living room.

 

He’s not bothered by the sudden media flurry. He just tells her to change her number if people start calling her. On Friday night over beer and pizza, him and John install new locks, security on her windows, and go over media protocol. Her head spins from the information but she listens to it all and tries to understand how her life is changing again.

 

The Queen family is silent to the stories and she can’t help but wonder if they’re choosing to ignore it or if they have something planned. It turns out they have something planned. On a Wednesday she gets called into a supervisor’s office and fired. Well they use some terms like downsizing but she knows it’s because of her relationship with Oliver. This is the tact they are taking. They want to force his hand and she’s the only target they have.

 

It’s only when she’s crying in what will soon be someone else’s office does she call Oliver. He doesn’t come to Queen Consolidated ever but he comes for her. He apologizes and holds her but she decides it’s okay. She has some savings and she’ll get another job...or at least she’ll find something to keep her afloat. He helps her pack up her office and carries her boxes down to John’s car. He freezes in the lobby when he sees his father but he turns away and shoulders past him.

* * *

 

Things get rough and Felicity thought she remembered rough from growing up. She can’t get another job. No matter where she goes she gets turned away and she has a sneaking suspicion the Queens are involved.

 

Oliver moves in sooner to try and save expenses. It works for a little while but in the end it’s a failure. They lose the apartment and her leased car. In fact pretty much everything goes to hell at that point and the only thing they have is each other. It’s stressful and hard but Oliver struggles more. He sees it as his fault. It’s not.

 

She sometimes finds Oliver sitting holding his family’s credit cards and bank account information. He could fix it and he’s struggling with it. She reaches for them always, slipping the items from his hands and sits on his lap. 

 

“This isn’t the way,” she says firmly. “I’d rather have this with you then go back to before.”

 

“I can fix this Felicity,” he says.

 

“No you can’t because this isn’t your fault,” she says. “I’ll keep applying for jobs. We’ll be okay.”

 

“How did you get so strong?”

 

“I took my lead from you.”

 

“I love you.”

 

“I love you too.”

 

Together they’ll make it work like they have so far. They keep cutting back and using every free resource they can possibly find. Felicity picks up some casual work fixing computers in the Glades. Usually she takes bartered goods to make it. No one has much money where they are staying right now. 

 

Felicity knows their relationship is hardly the stuff of fairytales. They’re barely getting by but she knows she wouldn’t trade it for the world. Before Oliver she was lonely and locked in a life that was slowly draining her. She knows that now. Plus there is no trade for the way he makes her feel.

 

Oliver Queen loves passionately and completely and no matter what, she never questions that. For her birthday he manages to buy her the piece that had broken causing her laptop to be unusable. When she asks him about the cost he tells her he traded various bartered goods to get it. That night they just watch a movie on it and for the first time, Felicity really believes they’ll be okay.

* * *

 

They decide to get married anyway. Oliver is still hesitant but Felicity convinces him it is what she wants. She wants to keep moving forward and he agrees. They’ve been together for a year and she wants to keep going. Everything is planned and the few friends they have are invited to the simple ceremony at the Japanese Gardens. Her mother will be there but otherwise it will be small, simple, and cheap. That bothers Oliver the most. He wants her to have the wedding she’s always dreamed of but finally she admits she never dreamed of getting married until him. So she’s happy with what they have.

 

Felicity manages to get a job at a local tech store which helps their money problems although she’s making less money than Oliver’s original paycheck at Big Belly Burger. Oliver picks up more translating jobs and even starts a part-time career with a local private school working with kids who do not speak English. The money goes right into an account to help them start saving for a safer apartment. It’s still awhile off but it makes them both feel better.

 

Three days before the wedding Felicity goes to Queen Manor. She stands outside the imposing door and just breathes. The maids are not quite sure what to make of her but they take her into the parlor anyway. She demands to see both Robert and Moira Queen but ends up seeing Thea first.

 

Thea wants to know about Oliver. She hasn’t seen him in over a year and she wants to know if he’s okay. She asks a bunch of questions but seems to accept Felicity outright. Felicity can’t help but slip one wedding invitation into her hand. Thea looks ready to cry with joy when she realizes what it is. 

 

Felicity stands when Moira and Robert finally arrive and she refuses to look away or down or pretend in any way to be less worthy of their attention. She waits for them to sit and then sits down across from them struggling with what to say. 

 

“I love your son,” she says. It sounds like a good place to start. “I’ve never loved anyone as much as I love him. He’s the most beautiful, strong-willed person I’ve ever met and I am going to be honored to marry him and build a life together.”

 

“You want money,” Moira Queen says. It’s not even a question.

 

“No. I don’t want anything,” Felicity says. “I wanted to tell you something about our wedding.”

 

“What is that?” Robert asks interested. 

 

“Oliver wants to take my name,” she says. “He asked me two weeks ago if I would be okay with him taking my name. He doesn’t want me to take his. He said...he’s ashamed of it.”

 

“Because he’s listening to people like you and that John Diggle,” Moira says. “He would have come home if not for you.”

 

“You really don’t understand him do you? Oliver is the strongest person I’ve ever met. He wants to make his own way.” Felicity says. “The wedding is Saturday at the Japanese Gardens. 3pm. Only come if you want to try and make things right with him.”

 

Robert Queen catches her at the door. He grasps her arm gently and looks so much like Oliver, she can’t help but pause.

 

“Is he okay?” he asks. “I...should never have let it get this far. This is all my fault.”

 

“Mr. Queen?”

 

“Can I see him?”

 

“He’ll be home for another hour then he has to go to work. You can probably catch him.” She tells him the address and takes off, walking down the driveway and towards the road. It’s three miles back into town and she hopes she can make it before dark. She can pick up the bus there. She gets a mile down the road when a town car stops alongside her.

 

“Let me take you,” Robert Queen offers. “Did you walk here from the city?”

 

“It’s only three miles,” she says sliding into the back seat. He frowns and looks down at her sneakers. “It’s not bad. We don’t have a lot of money so...it doesn’t matter.”

 

They ride in silence and Robert makes a soft agonized sound when he sees the area they are living in. His bodyguard looks ready to speed away from the neighborhood but grudgingly lets Mr. Queen out of the car. Robert follows her up the five flights of stairs without complaint. Three locks later and he’s standing in the studio apartment and grimacing. Felicity locks the door behind her and listens. Oliver is still in the shower.

 

“I think we might have some milk in the fridge or...coffee? I can make coffee. Actually you’re better off with milk. I set fire to the last coffee maker and it’s not a good way to end today. So milk? I think we have a few cookies left. I could…”

 

“It’s alright,” he says. She moves the pile of laundry off the couch and gestures for him to sit.

 

“Felicity are you home?” Oliver calls from the bathroom. 

 

“I’m here!” she calls back. 

 

“Hey,” he says softly coming out of the bathroom. He doesn’t notice his father. Instead he just kisses her and hugs her. “I have some good news.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Yeah the school? They offered me a full-time job today. It has benefits for us and we can look for a better apartment ,” he says excitedly. “I have to talk to Carly though. I know she needs help so I can maybe cut my hours a little there and help her out until she gets another employee.”

 

“Oliver that’s amazing!” He kisses her again and she actually forgets about his father. “I knew you could do it.”

 

“I love you,” he says. “You always believe in me.”

 

“Oliver.”

 

Both of them jump and Oliver turns to face his father. Felicity tries not to react but she notices how Oliver puts his shoulder in front of her.

 

“Dad.”

 

The exchange speaks volumes and Felicity puts her hand on his back. She would offer to give them the room but then she’d have to sit in the bathroom and she really doesn’t want to do that. It kind of smells in there plus it’s all steamy from Oliver’s shower. Mmm...steam. Shaking her head she tries to focus on the conversation.

 

“You got a job,” Robert says softly. “All on your own. That’s...I’m proud of you.”

 

“I’ve had a job. One you and Mom thought was a waste of my time. What do you want?” he asks.

 

“I let your mother decide too much of the past year,” he says. “I let her lead because you two were always closer but we were wrong. I want to make things right.”

 

“And if it’s too late?” 

 

“I have to hope it’s not. I have to hope we can fix things between us,” Robert says. “Thea made me realize something recently. You were never going to be the heir to my company. It’s not where your heart is. It never has been. I would like to keep the company in the family and I think I may have come up with a way to do that.”

 

“Thea?”

 

“No. Your wife-to-be,” Robert says.

 

“Me?” Felicity squeaks. “I mean...me?”

 

“I was not a part of your dismissal and frankly I’m ashamed it was allowed to go through. I’ve been going through your work with us and it’s very, very good. You’ve made solid suggestions at meetings and your work history is flawless. Queen Consolidated has been moving in a direction towards applied sciences and a heavy focus on technology than ever before. Who better to help lead the charge than one of the smartest technology minds out of M.I.T.?”

 

“No. I won’t let you build her up to knock her down,” Oliver says firmly.

 

“That is not my intention. Frankly the fact Ms. Smoak has been passed over for promotion when her record and skills far outpace those chosen is a horrifying error on our part. Those involved have been reprimanded,” Robert explains.

 

“What is the job exactly?” Felicity asks hesitantly, stepping around Oliver.

 

“I’m offering to take you on as my protege,” he clarifies. “We can draw up a contract which will protect your interests. You can have any lawyer you want look at it. We’ll negotiate various terms but your job would be heading up Applied Sciences and training directly with me. You would build your own team eventually reporting directly to me.”

 

“I don’t know what to say,” Felicity manages.

 

“Is this a trick?” Oliver asks quietly. “The money? The job? Any of it?”

 

“No,” Robert replies. “Your money is your money Oliver. No strings, no tricks. Your trust fund is yours. Your life is yours. Your marriage is yours. I’m just trying to make up for what has happened. I was wrong and I’m sorry. I wanted you to grow up and you’ve shown you are. You did this on your own.”   
  


“I didn’t. Not really. John, Carly and Felicity helped me a lot,” he confesses. “Without them…”

 

“Growing up doesn’t mean not asking for help,” Robert says. “Sometimes knowing when to ask is the most important thing.”

 

“I’ll think about your offer,” Felicity says. It’s really the only thing to say at the moment. She walks him to the door and unlocks it for him. In the doorway, he pauses.

 

“I’d like to come to your wedding on Saturday,” he says. “Is it alright if I’m there Oliver?”   
  


“Yeah Dad.”

* * *

 

They get married right where they shared their first kiss. Felicity is surprised when she realizes but she’s too busy staring at her husband. After much arguing for those three days, Oliver finally agrees to keep his name and Felicity will keep her name for now. They fight harder over that but she says it matters more to him than he seems to realize.

 

It’s a small ceremony and she takes great pleasure in seeing Oliver’s face as she walks down the garden path. Her dress is simple and classic and inexpensive. It doesn’t matter when she sees Oliver’s reaction. He’s still, patient and completely starstruck. Their vows are simple and their rings plain. He kisses her in front of their families. Notably missing is Moira Queen.

 

The months after their wedding slip away from them so quickly. Oliver continues his work at the local private school while Felicity starts her new job at Queen Consolidated. In a compromise, Oliver decides to use his trust fund for exactly three things. The first is to buy a townhome in a safe part of the city. The second is to put a sum of money in a bank account to become available in ten years should they need it. The third is put the rest of his money into trusts for his wife and future children to be released to her currently or upon his children’s 30th birthdays excepting educational costs. Determined not to rely solely on his trust fund, he makes it clear he wants to work and support his family.  

 

Moira Queen is still absent from their lives and Robert has admitted to his daughter-in-law he is expecting a divorce in the near future. Assuring Felicity one afternoon, he explains their relationship has been struggling for years but he’s kept it going for his children. So Oliver and Felicity end up helping his father through a divorce and watching as Thea goes through a variety of feelings at the outcome. 

 

Oliver is surprised when Carly asks him to cover one night at Big Belly Burger. Knowing how much he owes her, he agrees immediately. Once there he falls back into things quickly but notices his wife sitting at her old, favorite booth. Moving towards her he waits as she orders the meal he brought her on that first night.

 

She eats it slowly, practically savoring the dish. She smiles and waves to him before leaving to head home. It’s only later when he stops to clean up the table he notices her phone sitting there. Her lock screen is a picture of them at their wedding and he goes to look at it before calling her when he notices it looks different. Instead it’s a picture of the guest bedroom. He swipes the picture and puts in her password and freezes. The home screen picture? A teddy bear that says “My Daddy Loves Me”.

 

“Two years ago I sat right there cursing Oliver Queen and the irritating distractions his presence was causing me. All those girls and the media! I just wanted a damn burger,” she says. Oliver turns to face her clutching the phone. “Then you followed me home and now...well...I still curse your name sometimes.”

 

“You’re pregnant?” he asks. “We’re having a baby?”

 

“We’re having a baby Oliver,” she says gently taking his empty hand and placing it on her stomach. “Are you okay with that?”

 

“I...I love you,” he says pulling her into his arms. “A baby…”

 

“Congrats,” Carly says. “Now go home and do things I do not want to know about.”

 

“Thanks for helping me tell him Carly,” Felicity says. “Plus...I’ll always have a soft spot for seeing him in this t-shirt. He just fills it out so well...”

 

Felicity makes an embarrassing sound when he picks her up and carries her to their car. At home he does the same thing, lifting her up and carrying her up to the second floor and into the bedroom. Once on the bed he takes his time showing her just how happy he is about the news.

 

Her life changes again in pregnancy. Robert and Oliver fawn over her for the most part and while she finds it stifling, she can’t get too angry. Between them and John and Thea, she is never alone for more than five minutes and even then she has to lock the bathroom door to get Oliver to give her a moment of peace.

 

Suddenly she finds people analyzing her fashion as she gets larger. She’s the heir to the Queen Consolidated company and the wife of media darling Oliver Queen. Well media darling ever since the media discovered his education career and his devotion to his wife. Now she buys an herbal tea and sees her face on magazine covers. John finds the whole thing hilarious as he bodyguards for her full time now. Felicity is not so amused.

 

She does take great pleasure in watching John and Oliver build the nursery. Every Saturday she sits in an armchair with healthy snacks and watches two muscular men build bookshelves, cribs, paint walls, assemble furniture, and wait on her hand and foot. 

 

Every Sunday Oliver and Felicity relax and just worry about being the two of them before the baby comes. They spend time with Oliver’s old friends Sara Lance and Tommy Merlyn who have both changed their lives after Tommy was cut off and Sara decided to finally introduce people to her girlfriend. Notably absent is Laurel who, while not confrontational or negative, struggles to be a part of Oliver’s life when they are not together. Felicity respects it and hopes, perhaps, Oliver and Laurel will find a friendship in the future.

 

Some weekends Oliver sequesters them away from the world and refuses to answer the phone or doors. Those are her favorite weekends. They tell each other secrets and make love wherever they choose. They eat dinner naked or just play a board game. Either way it is their time and only their time.

 

Their child doesn’t like to be ignored even in the womb and makes waves all on its own. The baby kicks early but is surprisingly accommodating for its mother. The baby sleeps when she does and gives her only mild trouble with things like heartburn and nausea. Instead it’s almost like the baby is just happy to be there. So they treat the baby as such.

 

John Robert Queen comes towards the end of spring surrounded by his family.  Felicity lays against the pillows and watches Oliver hold their son and thanks whomever is listening she forgot her phone that day at Big Belly Burger. When Oliver turns and smiles at her she realizes he’s thinking the exact same thing.

 

**Author's Note:**

> So here's what happened: I was working on Chapter 19 of "Remarkable" and ran out of time to watch the episode. That is the one episode of season 1 I am least familiar with (one watch ever) so I had to put it on hold for the week. Instead I started working on this. I had this story in mind where Oliver takes a minimum wage job and meets Felicity. Originally the story was going to be a compilation of BBB Oliver/Felicity discussions. But that didn't happen. Instead we got snapshots of their romance over 2 years. (I may do something like the original idea eventually).
> 
> Ch 19 should post this weekend. Otherwise I hope you enjoyed this little AU.


End file.
